An outdoor gallery of the Marsa-Hamrun bypass is currently exhibiting photos inspired by a poem written by former president Anton Buttigieg, as part of an ongoing collaboration between MCAST and Infrastructure Malta. 

Il-Ħolma t’Alla (God’s dream), is series of photos by photography student Nathan Camilleri, inspired by Buttigieg’s poem by the same name. 

A former president of Malta, Buttigieg is also one of the most notable figures in Maltese 20th century literature. 

Il-Holma t’Alla invites the reader to appreciate and respect our planet as a divine work of art. 

Camilleri described his photos as a way that “exposes our local environment as a tool to build a dialogue between literature, artistic interpretation, and the viewer. 

“The congenital artistic creation reflects itself in our local landscape, which is an integral part of a collective effort to protect our earth, which is here represented by the image of a young girl.”

The outdoor gallery on the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass was set up in December 2020. Lining the road’s southbound carriageway, it is intended to serve as a gallery and exhibition space for MCAST students, displaying their works to thousands of road users who travel through the arterial road every day. 

Young photographer Nathan Camilleri. Photo: Infrastructure Malta

Carmen Aquilina, Pierre Mifsud and Darren Tanti, the three lecturers who planned and directed the setting up of this art gallery, used this collaboration to study public and community art as a pedagogical tool, encouraging the public to learn to observe and appreciate artistic creations. The lecturers compiled a pedagogy tool kit to guide educators, educational administrators and other individuals engaged in similar public art projects. 

A copy of this tool kit can be obtained by contacting the Institute on 2398 7753.